At present, land mines are found in over sixty-five countries in a variety of environmental conditions. A number of different technologies have been employed in demining applications. These include, but are not limited to, rollers, flails, plows, and tillers. Each of these technologies has different performance characteristics, and in most demining applications, combinations of these technologies are used to ensure that the highest possible percentage of mines are detonated. In many situations, rollers are used as a first-pass treatment both to clear mines and also to prepare the soil for subsequent treatments. Compared to other systems, roller-type devices are mechanically simple, easy to maintain, and require less power to operate. Another major advantage is that rollers leave the host environment more intact in comparison to other systems that tend to remove or significantly disturb the soil. However, traditional roller-type devices face a number of drawbacks.
One such drawback is the weight associated with the roller device. For a roller to be effective, it must produce enough force on the ground to detonate mines in the ground below. Solutions to this problem include making the rollers from heavier materials. This solution can be problematic because often the roller must be transported large distances making the extra weight associated with the roller costly in terms of both transportation costs and both transport and manufacturing costs are higher when material is increased. Also, if the roller becomes damaged or overturned due to a mine detonation, the additional weight of the roller may make retrieving or reorienting the roller difficult and/or dangerous. Moreover, different environments, soil types, and mine types may require more or less weight for successful detonation.
Another solution to the weight problem described above is the use of vehicles to provide additional weight to the roller. Typically rollers are pushed by a vehicle such as a tank or a tractor. In some operating scenarios, the weight of the vehicle may be applied to the roller through a suspension that raises part of the vehicle onto the roller, such that some of the weight of the vehicle is directed downward through the roller into the ground. This methodology effectively increases the amount of force applied by the roller to the ground. However, such a solution requires the vehicle to be closer to the roller than may be prudent, putting the vehicle (and driver) at risk with respect to a detonation. In addition, a hitch between the vehicle and the roller sufficient to transfer the force of the vehicle to the roller may also result in a damage to the vehicle should the roller flip or be overturned due to a detonation. A final drawback of this method is that the traction between the vehicle and the ground reduces dramatically when the vehicle is raised up, and that loss of traction may result in reduced maneuverability.
Another drawback associated with roller devices is the bow wave effect. A bow wave is gradual buildup of debris such as dirt or other materials in front of the wheels of the roller device. Such buildup may result in increasing the force needed to advance the roller by the pushing vehicle, this can cause the roller wheels to stop turning, which may result in fewer successful mine detonations as the buildup of debris may shield or protect the mine from otherwise receiving the full force of the roller.
Still another drawback associated with roller devices in the accumulation of debris such as mud or other materials in and around the wheels of the roller. Such buildup may make one or more wheels inoperable, requiring the roller to be stopped so that the debris may be cleared. Such clearing must be performed manually putting the clearer at risk to a detonation or fire during a combat situation. The mud clearance process is also time consuming, and if it's not done, the mine-clearing performance of the system may degrade.